The Little Words Mean the Most

Front Row Seat: Inspired by Jen Shang and Agents of Good

Why this e-book screamed to be made

 

There are something like 1.3 million IRS-sanctioned nonprofits in the US alone.

         Let's put that in perspective, shall we?

         By comparison, the U.S. has a mere 190,000 practicing dentists servicing 330 million mouths.

         So, yes, nonprofiteering — with its banker, fundraising — is a major industry.

And yet, as an industry, we lack consensus. And it's hurting our viability.

            You see, amongst those 1.3 million charities lurk probably 20 million disagreeing opinions about how to do fundraising communications "the right way" — when you add up fundraisers, their bosses, their boards and assorted second-guessers (program staff, I'm looking at you).

            That's just wrong. Not to mention counterproductive. And wasteful. And a great way to leave a lot of money on the table, thereby starving the mission: by hiring cheap and not investing in fundraisers who know what they're doing in communications.

            Nonprofits have to invest in training and qualified staff. The rating agencies, enforcers of the lame, depleted, archaic, short-sighted "your overhead cannot exceed 20% rule," inadvertently discourage that kind of investment.

            But to raise more money, you must invest.

            UNIVERSAL RULE: to raise money on Facebook, you have to spend money on Facebook ... at a rate of $50K for every $350K raised. Accept it: there is NO free fundraising, unless you have a volunteer army ... and even then.

Let's get serious, people.

         This e-book offers fundraisers a quick review of what's now known — though maybe not yet universally known — about making money via your donor communications, print and digital.

          The answers presented herein were sourced from world-class, best-in-industry fundraising practitioners. Jump to the end for a list of their names. Prepare to stand impressed; I was.

          Of course, a small test like this won't answer every question. But it answers enough important, basic, essential, undeniable, worthwhile, profitable questions to demonstrate whether, in fact, your organization already knows it stuff ... or could raise more money by changing its ways.

 

In memoriam: CD Wright

 

things break in winter

we thought would last a good long time

nor could honesty or praise spare marrow from the worm

 

I am in a lot of men's rooms; now you can be, too

Since I travel a lot and drink so many fluids . . .

Far too soon

Above: Tony Elischer, Toronto AFP Congress, 2013. Died Jan. 12, 2016, with decades of noise and difference still to make. Below: Tony, with Rory Green; AFP International in San Antonio, March 2014.

The Cacti Huggers

The Discovery of Implausium

Tucson, AZ. First spotted effervescing from a cliff by Simone Joyaux and Tom Ahern while hiking in the Saguaro National Forest a few years ago. Site revisited twice, including Jan. 12, 2016.

It's the darker, copperish dot in the middle.

The total situation.

Getting closer. Feel the tingle.
Simone stares in wonder.

"Time for your close-up, Implausium." African killer bees have colonized it (true).

Question was: Family first or friends first?

You put aside your dark side

 

as a kind of night light

over there

over there on a close shelf

a small shelf, easily flammable

you put aside your birth religion on

another small shelf and find a

new forest of adjectives to lumber